Helga's Heart (part 1)
by Hermione Potter1
Summary: 13 year old Helga is trying to decide how to tell Arnold her true feelings, and what may come of that.....


Helga's Heart  
  
  
It was a typical winter day in New York. It was cold. Clouds wrapped the sky with their soft, fluffy embrace. A few snowflakes were falling, and they landed on the sidewalk. But they were soon crushed by the scurrying feet of major shoppers who were trying to make it to every single after-Christmas   
sale.  
  
My best friend, Phoebe, and I were trying to weave in and out of the crowds in order to get home. School had just let out. I sighed. Another day gone by. Another chance flown to the wind. A chance I had had open to me every single day. A chance I always put off for later. A chance to tell Arnold how I feel.  
  
It was indeed a typical day. For every day I have done this. Go to school,  
be a major bully to Arnold (and everyone else for that matter), wishing I could just tell him how I feel. But every time I didn't. Head home, walk  
up the stairs to my room, open my little pink diary and write more love poems  
to Arnold. Every day it was the same.   
  
But I just can't tell Arnold. Never! I would die. What if he just laughed at me? What if someone overheard me as I was speaking the depthness of my love for him? I would be mortified, and my reputation as the bully, the "tough girl", the "tomboy", would be ruined. What if --  
  
"Helga? Are you all right?" said Phoebe.  
  
"Uhh, yeah, I'm fine!" I replied hastily, quickly regaining my composure. "Why wouldn't I be all right?"  
  
"Well, we just arrived to your house, and you just kept on walking. If I wouldn't have stopped you, I predict you may have walked clear out of the city!"  
  
"Um, right, yeah, okay Pheebs. I'm sure that I'm capable of walking so far," I said sarcastically. Sometimes I hate myself for being so mean to Pheebs.  
  
"Hmph. Nevermind. Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow, okay Helga?  
  
Helga?"  
  
I had let my mind drift back to Arnold once again....Why do I keep doing this?!!  
  
"Oh, yeah, yeah, alrighty Pheebs, I'll see ya tomorrow, bright and early, right? Bye!" I walked into the house. I shut the door behind me, leaned against it, and sighed. I let my backpack fall onto the floor. I slid down the door and landed on the rug. I sat there for a few moments, trying to convince myself that there was always tomorrow, that I'd always have another chance to tell Arnold. Snap out of it, Helga! Sheesh. I sighed for about the millionth time that day, grabbed my backpack and walked up the stairs.  
  
"Baby sister? Is that you?"  
  
I stopped dead in my tracks. Not Olga! Today? Today was the day she was coming? The last thing I needed right then was her and her nasaly high pitched voice calling me the dreaded words...i"Baby sister."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, it's me. Look I gotta go do my homework, okay? Later sis."  
  
"Okay, baby sister! But don't forget! Tonight is the night that I will be performing my original piano piece for the play at the performing arts center! I did the very same piece last year and the people loved me so much they called me while I was in Alaska and asked if I could play again! Isn't that wonderful, baby sister?!"  
  
"Yeah yeah. Great, great news." I rolled my eyes. "Tell Miriam I'll be up in my room."  
  
I stomped down the hall to my bedroom. I was sure to close my door behind me. I quickly pulled out my pink book, and threw my backpack on the floor. It landed with a loud thud. Thankfully Miriam wasn't here. She'd come up here and think it was the circus or something.  
  
I walked over to my desk and began to write a poem. Then I wrote another one. And another. Soon I had written 5 testimonies of my love for Arnold. I decided it was time to do my homework. But not until I wrote one more poem that dissected Ruth McDoogle into all her ugly ways. How I hated her! How I loathed her for being the object of Arnold's affection and not I! After I drew an ugly picture of her, I felt much better.  
  
I quickly did my homework, then ran downstairs to find something to eat.  
  
"Helga, dear, it's almost time to go. Will you please go put something nice on?" Miriam was home. Ugh.  
  
"Go? Go where?" I had completely forgotten about Olga's stupid piano piece.  
  
"Didn't Olga tell you? She has to perform an original --"  
  
"Yeah yeah I know alright! I just forgot. I'll go put on something nice," I said with a scoff.  
  
*****  
  
I put on a green velvet dress and put my hair in a single ponytail instead of two.  
I walked downstairs to see if everyone was ready. I just wanted to get this over with. This was going to be the most boring night of my life.  
  
"Ooh!" Olga squealed, clapping her hands together. "Baby sister! You look all grown up!"  
  
"Whatever. And will you PLEASE stop calling me 'Baby sister'? I am thirteen years old, for crying out loud. Geez, are you losing your memory already?!"  
  
"Let's go," grunted old Bob.  
  
*****  
  
I was right. It was the most boring night of my life. The play was boring, the music sucked (especially since it was Olga playing the piano), and everyone just kept gushing over Olga and her so-called italent/i. Heck, I can play the flute pretty well, but no one every pays any attention to me. And the worst part is, Olga ate up all the attention as if she were Queen of the World.   
  
But, there WAS something good about tonight......  
  
"Hey Helga!"  
  
"Uh..uh..Arrr-nold! I mean, hi, Football Head! What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here with my grandparents. Anyway, I heard your sister playing, and she's really great!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, that's what everyone says. Perfect little piano player Olga. Olga Olga Olga. Hmph!" WHY AM I SO MEAN TO THE POOR GUY?!! It's like a curse!  
  
"Uhh, Helga, are you alright?"  
  
"I - I'm fine. Nn-nice to see you, Arr-nold," I managed to stammer. He smiled like nothing you'd ever seen before.  
  
"Yeah, you too, Helga. By the way, you look nice."  
  
"Rr-really? Th-thanks. Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," he smiled. Oh, how I love that smile!  
  
And that was it. We departed. Tomorrow, I've got to talk to him. I've got to tell him how I feel.  
  
*****  
  
"Arnold! Help! Save me!" I was scurrying through a world of color and fantasy, but I was very scared. Suddenly I was falling into a pit with spiraling images all around me. Arnold was at the top of the pit, looking down at me.  
  
"HEEEEEELP!! ARNOLD!"  
  
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. I groaned and rolled over. It was just a dream. A stupid little dream.  
  
*****  
Me and Pheebs had just arrived at school. I looked around desperately for Arnold. Where was he? He never missed school.  
  
Suddenly I spotted him. My heart felt relief.  
  
"Pheebs?"  
  
"Yes, Helga?"  
  
"I'll catch up with you later, okay? I have something I need to do..." I nodded toward Arnold.  
  
She gasped. "You mean....you're finally going to tell him --"  
  
"SHHH!"  
  
"Sorry!"  
  
"Look, I'll see you in class...Later!"  
  
*****  
  
I walked up to Arnold. I felt strange and giddy.  
  
"Arnold?" I said quietly.  
  
"Hey, Helga. What's up?"  
  
"Can we talk? There's something important I need to tell you...."  
  
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Please review! I need to know if you like it or not. :)  
  
  
  
  



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